英语名篇背诵:　Build Me a Son 塑造我儿

英语背诵名篇:　Build Me a Son 塑造我儿

Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid: One who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.

Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be; a son who will know Thee and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.

Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.

Build me a son whose heart will be clean, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.

And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, and the meekness of true strength.

Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, "I have not lived in vain."

From A Father's Prayer

By General Douglas MacArthur

［参考译文］

塑造我儿

道格拉斯·麦克阿瑟

主啊，求你塑造我的儿子，使他足够坚强，可以认识到自己的软弱，使他足够勇敢，直面恐惧，使他成为一个败不馁、胜不骄的人。

恳求雕塑我的儿子，使他不致空有理想而缺乏毅力，引导他认识你，同时又明白，认识自我乃是真知的基石。

我祈祷，愿你引导他不求安逸舒适，经过压力、艰难和挑战，学会在风暴中挺身站立，学会怜恤那些失败的人。

求你塑造我的儿子，使他心灵纯洁，目标远大；使他在指挥别人之前，懂得先驾驭自己；让他知道去欢笑，也不要忘记如何哭泣；让他满怀理想，也要牢记挫折。

当他拥有了以上一切，我还要祈求赐他足够的幽默感，使他能认真严肃，却不致过分苛求自己。恳求您赐他谦卑，使他永远记牢，真伟大中之平凡，真智慧中之豁达，真勇猛中之温柔。

如此，我这做父亲的，才敢低声说：“我没有虚度此生。”

［注释］

-unbending [ˌʌnˈbendɪŋ] adj. 坚决的，不屈的 not yielding; inflexible

-humble [ˈhʌmbl] adj. 卑下的，微贱的，谦逊的 showing deferential or submissive respect

thee [ðiː] pron. 〈古〉（thou的宾格）你

-foundation [ˈfaʊndeɪʃən] n. 基础，根本 the basis on which a thing stands

-compassion [kəmˈpæʃən] n. 同情，怜悯 deep awareness of the suffering of another

-humility [hjuːˈmɪlətɪ] n. 谦卑 the quality or condition of being humble

-meekness [ˈmiːknɪs] n. 温顺，柔和 gentleness